02/11/2023
Have you ever experienced being misunderstood, dominating conversations, drifting off during discussions, or simply missing the essence of what's being said?
👂Identifying the style of active listening you use in varying conversations and situations will help to enhance your listening and communication skills. There are four main styles of listening:
❤️Empathetic Listening: This form of listening is all about comprehending the speaker's perspective. Imagine when a friend shares a personal story; empathetic listening involves directing your full attention to the other person, putting your own thoughts aside to truly understand theirs.
🎧Appreciative Listening: This type of listening aims at pure enjoyment. For example, when you savour music, relish a motivational speech, or participate in a religious ceremony – in each case, you're not just hearing but truly appreciating the experience.
📖 Comprehensive Listening: If your goal is to acquire new knowledge, this is the listening style for you. It comes into play when you tune in to a podcast, follow the news, or engage in an educational lecture, such as a classroom setting. Here, your focus is on absorbing information.
⚖️Critical Listening: When your aim is to assess and form an opinion on what someone is saying, you're engaging in critical listening. This form of listening is crucial in situations like debates or when you're evaluating a sales pitch.
🫂Active listening, often referred to as "listening with all your senses," involves not only hearing but also truly engaging with the speaker through visual cues, body language, and even empathetic responses. Active listening, a skill that fosters understanding, is encompassed within ❤️empathetic listening. Mastering active listening can enhance your relationships, deepen your understanding of friends and colleagues, and elevate your capacity for empathy.
What style do you mainly engage with?